I got into an email conversation with my father not too long ago, where he noted that he finds it challenging to figure out how to initiate and hold difficult conversations. Pondering this, I discovered that the authors who wrote Getting to Yes have also written a book called Difficult Conversations. Given that I want to approach life bravely, I think I'll add it to my list of books to read.

Meanwhile: I am trying to cope with the anxiety that arrives with needing to apply for academic jobs. I encountered some "quickie job application advice" the other day that reiterated that whole, "It's a marathon, not a sprint" perspective, which is a notion I need to retain.

After some reflection, I realized that my current anxiety probably largely stems from not having a concrete plan in place for all of the various things I want to do and should do over the course of the fall. I tend to experience a greater sense of peace when I have a plan in place. There are a lot of competing interests that need to be balanced with each other.

There's also, of course, the general sense of anxiety and dread that accompany the end of employment here. I am thinking that for dealing with that piece, I need to work on creating a list of wants, needs, and concerns. For example, what to do about things like health insurance? What to do with my possessions? How do I ensure that Emma is comfortable and as happy as an emo kitty can be? How do I balance scrottie's needs and desires with my desire to spend quality time with my parents, and to spend time exploring career options in the greater Seattle area? (heck, greater Washington?). I know that, for one thing, it would probably be really helpful to build in scheduled time to work on all of this.